


My World is Filled with Cheer...and You

by papergal



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Trans Adora (She-Ra), can you tell i feel more secure writing dialogue than prose?, give us a catradora christmas rom-com you cowards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:21:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28188366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/papergal/pseuds/papergal
Summary: Adora is leaving New Orleans to live in Chicago, where her best friend Catra lives the day before Christmas eve.
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 105





	My World is Filled with Cheer...and You

**Author's Note:**

> this is the first fic i have ever written. go easy on me!

“This is kind of funny, isn’t it?” Glimmer said, as Adora closed the trunk of the Uhaul.

“What do you mean?” Adora said.

“Y’know…lesbians…Uhauls…”

“Lesbian. Singular.”

“Is Catra not a lesbian?”

“No, she is, but we’re friends.” Glimmer gave Adora a look of disbelief. “Lesbians can be friends, okay?”

“Okay.”

Bow put his arm on Glimmer’s shoulder, and faced Adora. “I really wish we could drive you up there, but I’m pretty sure my dads would kill us if we didn’t do Christmas with them.”

“Also Adora should get to do this alone.”

“Oh my god will you _let it go_?”

“I just meant that I know you’ll get to stop at all the cheesy roadside attractions you want…”

“Oh.” Adora said. “Sorry. I thought—“

“I mean, there is that too.”

Adora rolled her eyes. “Well, _anyway_ …” Adora said, voice beginning to quiver. “I’m gonna miss y’all so much.”

“WE’RE GONNA MISS YOU TOO!” Bow shouted, breaking into tears.

“Ugh,” Glimmer said, wiping a tear. “I told myself I wasn’t going to cry.” They all laughed while the tears kept coming. “How are we supposed to exist in New Orleans without Adora?”

“Yeah,” Adora said. “What will New Orleans do without a blonde white woman?” They all laughed.

“Okay, let’s go over the checklist,” Bow said.

“Okay,” Adora said, wiping away tears. “Coat?”

“Check.”

“Second coat?”

“Does she need two coats?” Glimmer said.

“Chicago is cold, okay?” Bow said.

“Yes,” Adora mutters. “check.”

“What’s that?”

“I have two coats!”

“Okay, good. Snacks?”

“Doritos and Take Fives.”

“Caffeine?”

“Whole six pack of Mexican coke.”

“Podcasts?”

“Downloaded and ready to go.” Bow pauses.

“Our undying love and affection?” Bow breaks into tears again.

“Bow,” Glimmer said. “Don’t start again, you know if you start I’ll start too.”

“Maybe if Chicago is really cool y’all can move up there and we can all live in the same city?”

“Uh,” Bow said. “Sure.”

“I’ll see what I can do about that, because I don’t want to live far from any of my best friends.” Adora looked at Bow and Glimmer. “I can’t even look at y’all. It’s too much.” With a sharp exhale, Adora said “Well, I should get on the road.”

“I already can’t wait for your birthday,” Glimmer said.

“Right,” Adora said, clearing the tears from her eyes, “I’ll see y’all in like a month.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah.” Adora said. “Well, I’m going. I love y’all.” Adora climbed into the car and turned it on. She clicked in her seatbelt, wiped her tears forgetting that there was a window and Bow and Glimmer could see her psyching herself out.

“Bye Adora” Bow said, and Adora heard through the muffle of the window. She gave a weak smile, waved, and started driving.

* * *

  
The streetlights were just beginning to come on as Adora pulled off the highway. She looked around at the buildings and said “this is home I guess. Welcome Adora. Thanks, Adora. You’re welcome Adora. Oh, boy, two days and I’ve already lost it.”

It felt so strange to be here, in a Uhaul. The city felt so unfamiliar at night, and it seemed so wrong to be driving through it in a Uhaul. After getting lost a couple of times, she found a parking spot that was relatively close to Catra’s apartment. 

  
Catra

I don’t know where I am.

i mean does anyoen?

😒

drop a pin and send me it

What does that even mean?

just go to where it says send location ok

Location Sent.

k gimme a minute

Cool! Excited to see you!

After a couple minutes, Adora realized Catra was not going to answer that. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and tried to nestle into her coat. She realized she should probably at least grab her bag with some clothes for the night. So she opened the car door and reached in.

“Hey princess.” Adora upon hearing this got so excited she slammed her head on the ceiling of the car. Catra laughed. Adora started laughing too, and she turned to look at Catra. Her face was framed by a coat that reached up to her chin and went around her face. The neon orange glow of the streetlight gave her face dramatic shadows. Even her cute little nose.

“Awwwwww” Adora laughed.

“What?”

“Look at this kitty cat all bundled up.”

“Shut up!” They hugged, and started walking towards Catra’s apartment building. As they walked they talked about the drive. Ten minutes and three flights of steps later, they arrived at Catra’s door, and Adora’s heart started racing.

“Mistletoe? On your door?”

“Shut up, I just didn’t want to buy a whole fucking wreath.” Catra opened the door.

“Oh my god.”

“You like it?

“I don’t like it, I _love_ it.” The walls were all exposed brick, and the ceilings were tall. Adora looked to the left, seeing the kitchen, with the trash can slightly ajar from being so full. In front of her the bed was made, and to the right there was a couch and a TV. “You put fairy lights up?” Catra blushed.

“Uh…am I allowed to say no?”

“It looks so good.”

“I knew you’d like it.” Adora put her bag down and the two started taking their coats off.

“Shoes off” Catra said.

“Okay, okay.” Adora took her shoes off. “I really missed you, Catra.”

“I missed you too.”

“I’m just so excited that we’re going to live near each other again. Even if I live in a different part of the city, it’s okay.”

“And now I can actually meet the girls you date. Someone has to save your useless lesbian ass.”

“Yeah.” Adora said, as she looked away. She had almost forgotten it was “just” friendship. Her eyes darted around the one-room apartment looking for something to take her mind off of it. “Is that a CHRISTMAS TREE?”

“Oh. Yeah.”

“It’s so cute.”

“Thanks.”

“But also—so… _naked_?”

“Oh, yeah, um. Okay, well, I thought…don’t be an Adora about this but…I thought we’d decorate it together?”

“Oh my god, really?”

“I _just_ told you not to be an Adora about this.”

“Okay. Yeah, serious.” Adora made a comically stern face. “Very cool. Yeah. Decorating Christmas trees.”

“Oh shut up,” Catra laughed. She went behind the couch and pulled out a full brown paper grocery bag.

“Oh my god, Catra Clause.”

“Calm down princess, it’s just ornaments.”

“Aw…”

“You’ll get your gift on Christmas.” Catra said. “Plus, you’re the one with that red and white coat. Shouldn’t it be Adora Clause?”

“Okay, maybe we can both be Clauses.”

“Ah yes, two lesbian Santa Clauses sent to ruin Christmas.” They both giggled.

“So, we gonna start?”

“Yeah.” Catra said, leaning towards the bag, and giving Adora a view of Catra’s ass, and her gently swaying tail. Adora had missed Catra’s tail (and ass) but forgot just how much she did. “So,” Catra turned around and handed her a box and broke the trance. “What?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Okay…” Catra said. “Anyway, you wanna do the left side, I’ll do the right?”

“Sure! Can I put on my Christmas playlist?”

“Is it just Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ a thousand times?”

“Okay first of all: rude. That song is a masterpiece—“

“Is it though?”

“Secondly no. It’s just some good old fashioned Christmas music…” Catra looked at her in disbelief. “Okay, fine it’s on the playlist at ten different places.”

“Adora…”

“But there’s like 400 songs!”

“Ugh fine. But it’s just because we’re celebrating you moving here.”

“Yesss!” Adora grabbed her bag and found her phone. Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” plays.

“Ugh I hate you.” Catra tried to grab Adora’s phone but missed and grabbed her hand. They both stop and look each other in the eyes. Then Catra seizes the moment and grabs the phone.

“Hey, give it back!”

“No.”

“Okay but please don’t change it.”

“Fine, at least let me hook it into this absurd sound system.” After a moment, Mariah Carey’s voice could be heard in surround sound.

“Woah.”

“Right?”

“Mariah’s so beautiful,” Adora said, shaky with emotion.

“Ugh let’s just decorate this damn tree.”

The first thing to do was to put lights in the tree. Catra connected the wires, and they handed it back and forth until it was throughout the tree. Catra went to plug it in, but only half the lights came on.

“Fuck.” Catra said. “Adora do you know—“

“On it.” Adora started looking at the lights until she saw one that seemed slightly out of place, she clicked it into place, and the lights came on. Adora watched as Catra’s eyes widened, and Catra gave the smallest smile as she looked the tree up and down. Then she looked back at Adora, who was staring at this point.

“What?” Catra said.

“Am I not allowed to look at my best friend?” Adora said.

“No homo, of course.”

“Yeah.” Catra was so beautiful, and funny…which made her way out of Adora’s league romantically. She was so confident, and had been on lots of dates with lots of different women, one sounding cooler than the next. But Adora? Adora stayed home. The last time she had been on a date…well, she was a different person then.

They went on, decorating the tree, and humming along to Adora’s playlist. Catra kept instinctively batting ornaments off the tree, which gave Adora a giggle each time. They started chatting about the podcasts Adora listened to on the drive, Catra’s stress at the firm, the friends that didn’t bother coming to Adora’s going away party. It really happened. Adora really packed up her shit and moved to Chicago. And finally, she could see her…best friend regularly. Not just in pictures.

After the third time “All I Want for Christmas is You” played, Adora stepped back from the tree. “Looks, pretty good, don’t you think?” She asked, falling back onto the couch.

“Yeah, it does.”

“So are we going to watch a Christmas movie or…”

“Adora. I am so fucking tired. I absolutely need to sleep. I’ve been up since 6 AM today.”

“Valid. It’s been a long day for me too, I guess.”

“Yep. Now get off my bed.”

“Your bed’s over there.”

“No, Adora I’m sleeping on the couch.”

“Absolutely not. I am your guest. I will not move.” She laid out on the couch and imitated cartoonish snoring sounds, hoping Catra would pounce on her like when they were kids.

“You are _so_ annoying. Fine. Good night Adora.” Adora opened her eyes again, and watched as Catra’s ass and tail walked to bed.

“Good night, Catra.” Adora covered herself with the loosely knit throw blanket. She started to think about Christmas. Just the two of them together. And then she fell asleep.

* * *

Adora woke up still in darkness curled up in a ball and _freezing_. She opened her eyes and looked around hoping to see another blanket. She got up and began to tiptoe around the apartment, opening random drawers and cupboards, until one creaked loudly.

“What are you looking for?” Catra said, without shifting or opening her eyes.

“Oh. Um. Another blanket?”

“Sorry princess, the only other one I have is on this bed.”

“Okay. I’ll just—“

“Adora get in here,” Catra said.

“But—“

“If you stay on that couch I’m not going to be able to sleep because I’ll just be worried. And you’ll be too cold to sleep. Just get in here. It’s fine.” Adora did as she was told.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Good night.”

Adora was wide awake now. She stared at the ceiling and just tried to be cool. Sleep, she thought. _Be cool. You’re just sleeping in your best friend’s bed. You and Glimmer have done this. Best friends sleep in the same bed sometimes, right? Yeah, totally. Nothing weird going on here. Just totally normal friend stuff._ Eventually she started falling asleep, then felt Catra’s tail brush against her. “You awake?” Adora whispered. No answer. Adora needed to get some sleep for tomorrow, which was Christmas Eve. With Catra’s chin. With her laugh. She turned to face away, and not after long, fell asleep.

* * *

When Catra woke up the next morning, she could smell the bacon cooking. She smiled and moaned and burrowed a little more into her bed.

“Good morning” she said. No answer. She opened her eyes and looked into the kitchen, where Adora was wearing a spaghetti strap tank top, plaid pajama pants, and earphones, dancing gently. She just watched as Adora cooked the bacon, and smiled. If heaven is on earth, it’s this: watching your…um…best friend cooking you both eggs and bacon while she thinks you’re asleep. Catra could still smell Adora’s shampoo on the opposite pillow. She took a whiff of it, and propped her head up with her arm as she continued to watch Adora go. Amidst this dancing, the wire of the earphones got caught on the handle of a pan and yanked the earphones out of her ears, and Adora saw Catra looking at her.

“I promise this is not what it looks like.” Adora said.

“What does it look like?”

“A one woman dance party of ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ on repeat.”

“Then what _is_ it?”

“Um…a one woman dance party of ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ on repeat…while making eggs and bacon.”

“Nice.”

“Bacon should be done in a minute.” Catra started to shift as though to get up. “Nope” Adora said, pointing the spatula threateningly at Catra. “You stay _right_ there.”

“Fine.” Catra laid back down and stared up at the ceiling and smiled.

“By the way your pans fucking suck.”

“Fuck you.”

“No, I mean really, are these still the ones you were using freshman year of college?” Catra was silent. “Thought so.” Catra rolled her eyes, but couldn’t stop smiling.

“Wait, I had eggs and bacon?”

“Nope. I got them at the store.”

Adora put the eggs and bacon onto two unmatched plates. “Um, Catra where are—“

“The drawer right in front of you.” Adora opened the drawer.

“Christ, Catra is this a junk drawer _and_ your silverware drawer?”

“In my house _every_ drawer is a junk drawer.”

“Thanks, I hate it.” After rifling through the drawer enough, she found two forks, put one on each plate and walked over to the bed. “Can I—um, can I sit with you?”

“Yeah, nerd.” They sat and ate, looking at each other occasionally and smiling.

Catra insisted on doing the dishes. Adora put on “It’s a Wonderful Life” and Catra started cleaning around the house because “I am not watching that fucking depressing movie” despite Adora’s pleads that it had “a happy ending, and I’ll lasso you the moon.” But every time she saw Adora on her couch, bundled up in the throw blanket, mouthing along with the movie, she couldn’t help but melt a little. Halfway through the movie Adora paused it to get up and make something she insisted on calling “pepcorn,” a term apparently invented by a YouTuber who was, for Adora “the one man on God’s green Earth I’d fuck.”

Adora’s eyes were the color of the horizon. However cute Adora was before was only intensified by her wide eyed watching of this old depressing movie and her shoveling this “pepcorn” into her mouth. Catra, not having over two hours of things to do around the house ended up sitting on the couch with Adora, though looking at her phone, and only occasionally looking up to see Jimmy Stewart learning how shitty rich white dudes are.

As the characters in the movie began to sing “Auld Lang Syne”, Adora hummed gently along and Catra couldn’t help but stare at her beautiful friend, so lost in this movie she loved. As Catra started tearing up Adora noticed she was being looked at.

“What?”

“You’re cute.” Catra said and immediately regretted. “Or whatever.”

“You too.” _Wait what?_ Catra thought. “You love this movie don’t you?”

“Ugh, do not!”

“Then why are you crying?”

“I’m not crying, you’re crying!”

“Yeah but at least I admit it’s because of this movie!”

“Ugh, fine, yes, Jimmy Stewart’s masculine wiles entranced me,” Catra lied.

“See? Was that so hard?” Adora said. Catra rolled her eyes. “So. What are we doing next? Another rewatch of this?”

“Please, God, no.” There was a silence.

“So…um…what if…” Adora said. “What if we made a gingerbread house?”

“Do I even have the stuff for that?”

“You do as of this morning.”

“I _do_ like gingerbread…”

“So?” Adora said excitedly.

“Okay, fine.”

“Yesssssss.”

Catra walked towards the kitchen, and Adora grabbed her laptop and did the same. “Okay so, I got us some mix but I thought it would be fun to make some icing.”

“Adora, I don’t have—“

“That’s why I got this!” Adora said, pulling an electric mixer from one of the grocery bags.

“You did _not_ buy me an electric mixer.” Catra said, flattered but feigning frustration.

“Yeah, I grabbed it from the van.” Adora set the oven to preheat. “I’m going to give you as little work as possible.” Adora plugged the mixer in, and cracked egg whites and put in powdered sugar. “Okay just mix this.” She handed Catra the mixer and turned it on. Catra, too afraid to move an inch. Adora started her preparations for the gingerbread dough. After a minute she looked over at Catra frozen into place. “You can’t just—“ Adora grabbed Catra’s right hand with the mixer and started rotating it around the bowl. “You have to get the whole bowl.” Then she grabbed Catra’s other hand and guided it to gently turning the bowl. “Jusssst like that.” That moment felt like an eternity to Catra. She felt Adora’s hot breath gently on her neck and wished Adora would plant a kiss just beneath her jaw. Catra was surprised when she felt Adora’s chest against her back. When Adora had started taking hormones, she said Catra could see her boobs once they grew in, but as curious as Catra was, she knew she couldn’t ask now without giving herself away.

Adora let go and returned to her dough. Catra closed her eyes, and let her mind wander as she maintained the rote motion of mixing. She imagined Adora sweeping the counter with one motion and lifting Catra onto it, and leaving her very kissed. 

“It looks good, by the way,” Adora said.

“What?” She looked down at the bowl. “It looks noting like icing.”

“No, your hair.” Adora said. “It looks great.”

“You’ve seen it already!”

“Yeah, but not in person.” _What is going on_? Catra asked herself. _First she calls me cute, then she holds my hands, now she’s complimenting my hair? Does she—no, she can’t._ Catra turned off the mixer. Adora looked over and catra dipped a finger into the icing and slowly brought it towards her mouth. Adora was staring intently at this point. Then Catra poked Adora’s nose with the iced finger and laughed. Adora scoffed and did the same to Catra.

“Happy now?” Catra said. “Now we’re even.” She started to feel the fog of possibility at her feet. It felt undeniable that something was happening. So she stole a long glance at Adora who was staring, eyebrows furrowed, at the directions on the back of the box mix. She was so cute when she set her mind to something. She’d get so serious. Adora was so funny when she was serious.

* * *

“So is it dinnertime?”

“Catra, we just finished decorating the gingerbread house.”

“And you’re not letting me eat any right now, so what do you want?”

“Oh what _you’re_ gonna cook?”

“Oh, no, I was going to order delivery.”

“It’s Christmas Eve!”

“You have any better ideas?”

“Actually, I do. When’s the last time you had steak?”

“Holy shit, Adora. Are you gonna make us steaks?”

“Yup,” Adora said with a big goofy grin. Catra let out a little squeal. “But…I’ve only made steak a few times so you’re _not_ going to be shitty if it sucks.”

“I would never—“ Adora gave her an exhausted look. “Okay, I guess I _would_ , but I promise I won’t.”

“Feelings on potatoes?”

“Positive.”

“Feelings on kale?”

“What’s the opposite of positive?”

“Chef Adora is vetoing your dislike of Kale.” Adora said. Catra scoffed “What, are _you_ gonna cook this meal?”

“No.”

“Okay. Just chill and hopefully I’ll be ready in a bit. Do you have a sweater I could borrow? It’s cold in here.”

“I have the perfect thing.” Catra pulled a comically oversized Christmas sweater her mom gave her. It was lined and cozy. She brought it to Adora and held it by the shoulders. Adora reached out to grab it. Catra shook her head.

“Try again.” Adora looked down, embarrassed, and put an arm in each sleeve. “All right, turn around.” Catra reached the bottom of the zipper, and zipped it to the top, and looked at Adora’s face. I _wish I was kissing you right now_ is what she wanted to say.

“Thanks.” Adora started her preparations for dinner, and Catra sat at the counter with her laptop, pretending to work, but instead stealing every glimpse she could of this beautiful woman who was going to make her steak in her apartment on Christmas Eve. _She doesn’t even realize how lucky I am_ , Catra thought. _Even just knowing her is…a gift._ Catra started to feel a pressure in her chest, a warmth in her throat. How was she going to not say it? How was she going to not explode? But she knew if she said something she could ruin _everything_. Adora was here, feet from her. What if then, Adora didn’t want to be friends with her anymore and she moved back to New Orleans? It would break Catra. It took so many conversation to get to this point, and she felt the impossibly delicate balance of it all. How easy it would be to topple a relationship built over the course of so many years. As much as she wanted to say something, the risk was too great.

Aside from Adora occasionally muttering, lecturing Catra on the poor quality of her utensils, and the sound of a meal coming together. Catra had spent so many nights staring at the ceiling wishing for Adora’s presence, romantic or otherwise. And here Adora was. In Catra’s kitchen. She dreamed for a moment of Saturday mornings spent waking up beside Adora. Of lazy mornings spent in bed watching Gray’s Anatomy. Together. Holding each other. Exchanging a kiss every now and again.

Anyway, dinner was ready now. Maybe Catra just needed some food. Maybe that would snap her out of it.

“Adora, this is…”

“I know, okay? I’ve made steak like twice okay?”

“No, Adora, this is amazing.”

“Oh. Well, let’s wait until you taste it to say that.” Catra took a bite of the steak and moaned. Adora blushed. Wait why did that make Adora blush? “Okay you don’t need to oversell it.”

“I’m not, I swear. It’s that good. Is yours not good?”

“Mine’s…fine.” Catra cut a piece of steak and brought it towards Adora’s face. “You want me to…?”

“Try it. Mine’s so good.” Adora slowly bit the steak and pulled it off the fork, making eye contact with Catra as she did it. This was exactly what she had hoped for in doing that, and now her whole body felt like it was on fire. Catra looked wide-eyed down at her food, just processing how badly she wanted to pounce on Adora and cover her head to toe in kisses. Catra went through the motions of eating, still staring down at her food, just trying to to manage the electricity pulsing through her body.

“You okay?” Adora said. Catra’s ears and head perked up.

“Oh. um, yes. Definitely yes. This is so so good. These potatoes? Unreal.”

“Thanks, I make them a lot. They’ve got duck fat.”

“ _Duck fat_? That’s a thing?”

“Yes, it’s a thing.” Adora said. “I notice you haven’t touched your greens though.” Catra gave a weak smile, and cautiously took a small bit of the orange dressed kale. It was…

“Oh my god” Catra said with her mouth full. “Adora, that is so good.” Catra started shoveling it down and Adora chuckled. It was delicious, but even if it had been awful, Catra would keep shoveling it down as long as Adora was laughing.

After Catra was done shoveling down all her delicious food, she began to do the dishes, Adora now sitting at the counter across from her, looking at her computer at apartment listings. Catra stole every glance she could. Her nose. Focus. She had to stop staring at her best friend. Her neck. Ah yes, dishes. Her ears. The way she blinked. The way her eyes would fixate on a random spot when she was thinking. Adora looked up from her computer and Catra jerked her head down towards the dishes.

“You wanna watch a movie after this?” Adora asked.

“Sure, what do you wanna watch?”

“I was just wondering what _your_ favorite Christmas movies are.”

“Does Die Hard count?” Catra asked, half joking. Adora groaned.

“Ugh, I guess.”

“Wait, really?”

* * *

Halfway through their viewing of Die Hard, Adora’s phone started to buzz for a video chat. She pulled it out and laid down, placing her head in Catra’s lap.

“Heyyyyyyy” Glimmer said.

“Oh hiya there” Adora said, in a funny voice.

“So…” Bow said. “How’s it going?”

“Y’know,” Catra said, and Adora pointed the camera at her “It _was_ going fine until you two interrupted.”

“Oh yeah, I want to know what the lovebirds were up to.”

“Glimmer!” Bow shouted.

“Anyway,” Adora said, and Catra realized there was probably a reason Adora was steering away from this conversation. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. She wasn’t going to say anything. Well, on the bright side at least Glimmer could sense what Catra was sensing. Catra opened her eyes and looked down at Adora, her cheeks, her eyebrows. Well, she may not get Adora, but at least she’ll get to keep those cheeks in her life. Catra couldn’t even be bothered to be listening to whatever they were saying. She just wanted to run her fingers through Adora’s hair. To trace circles on her shoulder and hear Adora talk about…whatever…

“That’s Catra’s favorite movie?” Catra heard Glimmer’s voice say through Adora’s phone.

“What is?” Catra said.

“Don’t pay _too much_ attention” Adora said.

“Oh shut up.” Catra said. “What is?”

“Die Hard.”

“It’s not. I mean, it’s probably my favorite Christmas movie, but not my all-time favorite.”

“Of _course_ it’s your favorite Christmas movie” Glimmer said.

“Oh what like yours is better?” Catra said.

“Mine is Muppets Christmas Carol.” Glimmer said.

“Shit. Actually that movie is really good. Well done, Sparkles.” Catra said. Glimmer smiled. “What about you, Bow?”

“The Holiday, obviously.” Bow said.

“The Cameron Diaz movie?” Catra said.

“Everyone in that movie is hot!” Bow said.

“Whatever you say.” Catra said. There was a moment of silence.

“Isn’t Jack Black in that movie?” Adora said. Another moment of quiet. “Oh my god, Bow do you think Jack Black is hot?”

“No comment.” Bow said. The rest of them laughed.

“Anyway, we should go. This Die isn’t gonna Hard itself” Adora said.

“What does that even—“ Catra said.

“Thanks so much for calling though I miss y’all.” Adora said.

“We miss you too!” Bow said. 

“Byyeeeeeeeee” Adora said, hanging up. Adora snuggled a little more against Catra. Catra was ready to combust into flames for how this made her feel. Adora’s head in her lap. Nestled. “So you gonna put it back on or…”

“Oh, right, yeah.” Catra pressed play, but there was nothing Bruce Willis could do that would take her mind off of Adora’s head in her lap. Sure, her eyes were on the screen, but the rest of her was repressing screams of excitement and desire. Before she knew it the credits were rolling and Adora yawned. Adora was so cute when she yawned. God, she was so cute when she did anything.

“You wanna sleep with me?” Catra said, and immediately realized what that sounded like. “As in, not on the couch, not…obviously not…” Adora gave a halfhearted chuckle.

“Yeah I think I would be an icicle in the morning. Is that okay?”

“Why do you think I offered it?”

“Okay.” The two got ready for bed and got under Catra’s big blanket.

“Good night Adora.” Catra said. This way Adora wouldn’t start a long conversation. There was already too much in her day to think about. Adora calling her cute, all that stuff about the gingerbread house. The longer Catra talked the more she knew she would have to keep up the idea that she was happy just remaining friends. So tomorrow, she wouldn’t do anything flirty. She couldn’t afford to risk losing Adora.

She tried to sleep. But she couldn’t help but feel the faint warmth of Adora’s body beside her, and just relish in it. God, if only it could always be winter. If only it was always bedtime. If only Adora could stay here with her in bed forever. But knowing that this couldn’t last forever, she tried to just be present, and feel it, and love the feeling that their arms may accidentally brush up against each other in the night. That they could wake up folded around one another.

“Adora?” Catra said weakly.

“Yeah?”

“Can I say something?”

“Of course.”

“I—“ Catra paused. She wanted to use the right words. She didn’t want Adora to feel like she needed to say anything. “Here’s the thing. Um.” It was too late now. She just had to say it. But _how_? “Obviously you don’t need to say anything about this, we can just pretend this didn’t happen once I’ve said it, okay?”

“Okay…” Adora said.

“Adora, I—“ Catra shut her eyes. She couldn’t handle the idea of seeing Adora’s face hear what she was about to say. It would break her and make her cry, which would just make Adora feel bad. And she didn’t want Adora to feel bad. “Listen, I—I love you. I know you don’t feel the same but I just couldn’t take it anymore. There. I said it. Okay? Good night.” Without even opening her eyes to see Adora’s reaction, Catra turned over and faced away from Adora. She felt the hot tears blooming in her closed eyes as silence hung in the air.

“Catra?” Adora said. Catra knew she couldn’t say anything without it sounding like a sob. But hearing Adora’s voice broke her. She sounded so sweet. It was all just too much. “What makes you think I don’t feel the same?”

Catra’s eyes shot open, and she turned back towards Adora.

“What?” Catra said in total disbelief. Adora reached her hand to cup Catra’s cheek and wipe away a tear.

“I love you too. I always have.”

“This whole time?”

“This whole time.”

“Even before—“

“Yup.”

“Me too.” Catra said. “Y’know, before um…I just kept telling myself i was imagining it. There was just no way—“

“Are you kidding me? You just kept going on these dates with fantastic women and—“

“And each time I knew I’d never love them the way I love you. So it seemed dishonest.”

“I—I thought…”

“This whole time for me too, princess.” There was a silence in the air. Blue with night, the fog of wee hours and conversations in the dark. Catra felt unapologetic as she stared at Adora’s face. Every detail. Until she landed on Adora’s thin pink lips. “Um. Can I kiss you?”

“Please.” Catra propped herself up on her elbow, taking in all of Adora’s face is she hovered over it. Almost painfully slowly, Catra leaned in towards Adora, and brushed their noses together as they kept their eye contact. Then Catra closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Adora’s. Adora’s lips were warm. And sweet. And tasted like cinnamon chapstick. Catra pulled away for a moment, to look at Adora again.

“Catra.”

“What?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Adora. Merry Christmas.”

**Author's Note:**

> Very special thanks go to Laurel, Almu, and Baker for their help in so many ways. Hope you liked this! Happy holidays, friends!


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